Hurricane-force Winds Battered Northern Europe

Posted on October 29, 2013

Yesterday, on St. Jude’s Feastday (the patron of lost causes), the worst storm in several years has battered Northern Europe with heavy rain, hurricane-force gusts of wind of nearly 100 mph, and caused deaths, widespread blackouts and transport disruptions.

Dubbed St. Jude, this storm system has killed at least 13 people (mostly from falling trees and debris) as violent storms ravaged the UK, the Netherlands, Germany, Sweden and parts of northern-France and Russia.

Shows scattered debris caused by winds – Credit: james_jhs via Flickr

WeatherBug-Earth Networks’s StreamerRT image capturing wind speed and direction, showing the movement of the frontal system causing the high winds. – Credit: WeatherBug

Quick facts on the devastation:

In Britain, power was restored to 100,000 properties overnight, but 61,000 homes remain without electricity.

Gusts of 99 mph were reported on the Isle of Wight in southern England, while gusts of up to 80 mph slammed into the British mainland.

At least 130 flights were cancelled at Heathrow airport and rail networks cancelled trains citing high risk of trees and debris on the train lines.

Waves as high as 25-feet were reported on England’s southern coastline as the storm began!

Credit: Keifer Rockburn

Denmark saw record gusts of up to 120 mph.

Northern Germany felt gusts up to 105 mph and the surrounding area experiencing gusts over 85 mph.

In northwest France, 75,000 homes are without power or electricity.

Credit: Keifer Rockburn

In Russia’s northern capital St. Petersburg, a gale warning has forced authorities to activate city flood protection systems.

Over 30,000 people in Russia’s Leningrad Region are without electricity.

The water level in the Neva River rapidly increased. Within just half an hour, it rose from 86cm to 111cm at the gauging station at St. Petersburg’s Mining Institute!

Credit: Jay Ardee via Flickr

Our thoughts and prayers are with our European friends and hope for their safety, a speedy recovery and strength through this hard time.